>> reverend norman fong has been praying for 20 years. he has been a great champion. he has to collect all of his efforts for so many years to make sure our communities were served well. he's been an advocate and director of the chinese development center, a center invaluable to the growth of our community to plan affordable housing, transit, to open space, to the care for our seniors. the reverend fong we have been recognizing your voice for wells fargo on the radio and we want to give recognition to your voice again as a champion for the central subway. come on up reverend norman fong. [applause]

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>> yeah, that's true. i am going to keep this short, but i also need your involvement. i was asked to do a blessing but those that know me we need to bless each other and today i just want you to say these four words. bless the central subway. say that. "bless the central subway". now, whenever i say this word "this is it" -- i am borrowing from michael jackson. then you did a blessing. okay. this has been the moment we all been waiting for. this is it. >> (inaudible). >> a community dream is being actualized. this is it. >> [inaudible] >> communities from the bay view to chinatown are being connected. this is it.

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>> central subway. >> affordable transportation is the life blood of all cities. right? this is it. >> central subway. >> from washington dc to san francisco we are here to accept brait a federally supported and grass-roots driven transit project that represents access for all to jobs, health care, their families. this is it. >> central subway. >> okay. a little extra. in the national play offs of life itself like buster posy we just hit a grand slam. this is it. >> central subway. >> it's been a long and difficult road towards a new and more inclusive transit system for san francisco

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neighborhoods, but we shall overcome. am i right? this is it. >> central subway. >> bless the construction workers and those that sacrifice so much -- you know who are you -- that san francisco can move towards a transit for the future and this is it and bless all of you on this wonderful day. thank you. [applause] >> before i invite the final speaker i just wanted to make sure i acknowledge senator mark leno for being here today. thank you very much. big champion for transportation in our state. steve mecher and thank you for being here. ongoing support. got the sf giants hat, yes. mike cureo and thanks for being here and the construction trades and we have

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been working with you to get the folks trained over the years. it's a wonderful time, and the chairman -- and the chairman of our san francisco metropolitan transportation agency who has been a long time champion of public transit, a regular muni rider, someone who loves the city and has been at the forefront of not only a great transportation but has his head in our city and programs and wonderful services. please come on up. chairman tom nolan. [applause] >> leader pelosi asked me what is of going to say after reverend frong. i didn't have a chant rate for that. this is a great day for san francisco. this is a labor of love. we know the economic and transit values of this. as an agency

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we are committed and not only committed to bringing this fruition on time but under budget as well. is that good? and we will continue the vil against of all of our assets and focusing on the priority number one is safety. this day is possible because of so many people that did so much work here. senator leno is here and the assessor. we have a wonderful working relationship with fta regional leaders and mtc and lazarus from the mtc board and the china chamber of commerce and the san francisco chamber of commerce and the market street association and the business improvement district and joe an hayes and mike from the building and trades construction council. anytime i get a chance to speak on the mta board i say i am so proud of what we do and we move

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700,000 people in the city and it's a difficult task. we have a wonderful staff. we are privileged to have the talent of ed of course for his leadership and i couldn't tell you how proud i am to work with the people on the board of directors and christine, the newest member. and the other members and malcolm couldn't be here today but we are proud to work together on behalf of the people of the city and we are happy to have john fung head this up and behalf of the board and all of us and thank you mr. secretary. mr. administrator. senator feinstein, leader pelosi, congress woman spear and mayor lee and thank you all for being

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here and now it's time to make it official. it's sign that document. okay. [applause] >> thank you tom. and as we're getting ready to sign this grand slam document let me make sure we give a great appreciation to our county transportation authority who has been administering the funds for this great project and a great shout out to the union square improvement district. i know there are businesses big and small that will suffer a little bit from the construction but they're going to be patient. they know the result of this is a great future for our great city and thank you to all of the businesses and we will be communicating with them all the time with all of the agencies. decades now ladies and gentlemen city residents and our city will know the vision started 20 years ago to today we built a great transportation system we're going to be proud of and this is part of our success, the greatest city in the world, san

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francisco. [applause]

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>> target of the first store in san francisco. i am steve bankly and president of the target stores in the san francisco bay area. i am very excited to be here for this event and i like to recognize san francisco mayor ed lee, ceo of united way anne wilson and west field group senior vice president anthony rich and you may have noticed we have our beloved mascot bulls eye with us. it's an exciting time for target. as you know 2012 50 marks our 50th year and we have a new concept and

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designs for the urban shopper and to complement the city's character and the small store offers the product but more suited to these lifestyles. instead of 20-pound bags of dog food you will find smaller bags and treats to manage to carry around. this is the first store in san francisco and we are activating our first stand alone active wear store and part of our brand by champion so what does it mean for you? high end apparel without the high end prices and what better way to introduce this concept than here in america's most active community

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and a joy to join the mayors in san francisco and nakd in 2011 we two contributed $2 million to san francisco and have awarded several schools with grants for field trips and completed our first library make over in san francisco last week at sanchez college prep elementary about 2 miles from here. we support the united way and employee contributions. as you can see we believe strongly in giving back to the community. speaking of community i would like to introduce one of san francisco's most influential leaders. present at the groundbreaking of the target last year ed lee has been involved with this store since day one. his visionary leadership with the make over has created 600 construction

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jobs and 700 permanent jobs about three which of are in this target store. we appreciate the partnership as we work to bring san francisco a target store and we are pleased to have him today and ladies and gentlemen it's a great pleasure to introduce ed lee. [applause] >> you got to know i was more interested in bull eye's recognize to my name. thank you for that introduction and thank you bulls eye for wears 49er red. [applause] . it's my pleasure to be here. i can't think of a more centralized place for the target store to happen right in the heart of san francisco. i know john is here with our convention bureau and we are finishing a couple of weeks of huge conventions here and last week

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it was oracle and 50,000 visitors come here and i know they walked by and i know they thought it was open and poking their nose and get in and the ax tributes that you have here, but i want to contribute -- congratulate target and west field and over a year ago i was here punching holes in the wall just expecting a great thing to happen and this first in our city, a city target store here in the middle of the city is going to be great and i love daly city and others but you know they're quiet and rather to drive down there our residents, our visitors can have a store right in the heart and have the brand names of things we're accustomed here. i think they will find it convenient and on all levels of affordability and

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so forth and i think the store is going to be a over night success. i'm a big supporter of it. gosh talking about being a corporate citizen and the construction jobs and the permanent jobs and they really did itlet right way and of the 300 jobs people have been hired by city target. 70% are franciscan residents. isn't that a great accomplishment? i know they worked hard. they worked hard with mission hiring hall and economic and work force development and the hiring events here and training and built up the expectations and they were met and this is what i love about being the mayor of san francisco. we can talk about jobs and working with target we can actually deliver them and this is the prochgz a good economy brings. this is

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what working with business is all about. it's what working with corporate citizens like target is all about and the jobs are here not only because of target but you have shown a great effort with our schools. the backpack give give a way program was exciting with the schools and the grants and it's a wonderful time to work with you as a corporate citizen so i look forward to a great icon of a city target store here. it is part of a brand news revised buildings and restaurants in the grownt floor and meeting spaces -- i think i will hold a few fundraisers up top with that city view and fun to do and of course when my wife says "we haven't seen a movie later" we will get down here and it has it all here. we welcome target for being here. we thank you for

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your corporate partnership and the partnership on the hiring and we look forward to a great partnership for years to come and west field and united way of the bay area and i want to say thank you to the wonderful team. they really know how to work with all of the nonprofits, work with the business community and make that right connection like they did with target. these are all great partners and this is the private public partnership that we speak about in the city that has to be part of any city make up. this is the first for san francisco but i know l.a. has one. maybe they will open up a second one and chicago and seattle and we are glad to be joining the city stores and congratulations and as mayors do and this today is city target day in san francisco. [applause]

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>> thank you mayor lee. we are honored by your kind words and partnership, and now i would like to introduce anne wilson, president of united way bay area to come up and say a few words. >> thank you steven. this is a really great celebration want congratulations to you and congratulations to west field and congratulations to the city and congratulations to all your teammates who are here that have great jobs with a great company and as the united way target is a partner not just here in the bay area but all across this country. target teammates participate in the community and with many nonprofits and last year teammates give over $15 million to the local united ways and that is no exception

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here in the bay area. we value the partnership greatly. congratulations on 50 years. the bay year is celebrating 90 years this year so we have been partners all those years and the tradition conditions. mr. mayor speaking of partnerships one partnership that we were all a part of that you make didn't think is the summer jobs plus initiative. target joined by more than 100 companies with mayor lee to launch that program here in san francisco and one more example when we put out the call to employers who will participate and target was there like you are on so many civic initiatives. we are proud to be your partner and work with you and the bay area. we are very excited and we can say unequivocally to every neighborhood in san francisco this is a good neighbor. the

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commitment to community is part of the dna of target corporation and the volunteer hours, the giving, the against ros itd of the company and its teammates really is at the top of the heap nationally and locally so we thank you so much. we are here to celebrate with you this great milestone and really on behalf of dozens and dozens of nonprofits you reach out as a company to the nonprofit community everyday and your teammates do as well and we are so grateful and behalf of the united way and dozens of nonprofits who are your partners 365 days a year congratulations and welcome to the neighborhood. [applause] >> thank you so much. and in another partner i would like to bring up, mr.an tony rich, has been instrumental over the last

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couple offer years bringing the target store to reality. mr. anthony rich for west field, come on up. >> thanks david. thank you mayor lee and anne and i would love to thank bulls eye if he was here. well city target has arrived and seniors are the ones in the way of the shopping beginning. i will try to keep it brief. it's an exciting day for us and many dedicated themselves to this opening. this marks the completion of those efforts and i would like to thank the mayor, the city administrator's office, our retail partners and guests for their support as we work to transform this wonderful site. you all have been terrific. from my first visit three years ago i was amazed at the opportunity the team was

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approximately together here. with the transformed area and the lure of city target it's even better. as the mayor has said 700 people are working here now. it's just great to also see the flow of people between the garden and the dining terrace and the reinvention of this area has been key to the overall development. the renovated theaters and catering to thousands of people each week and now when you walk up and down mission and fourth street and getting that energized feeling of restaurants and shopping facing out to the street a very much san francisco feel. when my wife and i moved to san francisco we were struck by the fact this wasn't just a city of dreamers, but it was a city of dreamers that are doers and that's what leads to it is innovation here. we hope the

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reinvention will play its role in this important neighborhood. we are proud to work with you all. we are proud of the investment here and at west field san francisco center and with the addition of city target we look forward to seeing the area grow and we thank you all for being here. cheers. [applause] >> all right. i think it's just all been said. are you guys ready to open this thing? [applause] i hope that we got some shoppers out there tonight, some wallets. i would really love to bring up brian jenson and the a store leader and when you have something you want to tell him -- brian, come on up here. i would like to have dave polk who is the district team leader for

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the store. [applause] and we're going to have some of our store team come up. we're going to cut the ribbon and get this thing going if i can have the speakers come up as well.